Jars of Clay kicked off the Music Build tour that stopped in San Diego on Saturday. The Music Builds Tour is a Christian Music tour that is traveling the country this summer through the fall. The tour has joined with The One Campaign to expose issues such as global poverty, hunger, and disease in efforts to fight such problems in the world’s poorest countries. They also teamed up to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. One dollar of every ticket sold goes to charity, so this tour literally helps build.

Jars of Clay is also out to support their EP Closer. The EP contains 5 new songs along with a new arrangement for their hit “Flood”. They actually dubbed it “Flood (The New Rain)”. The new arrangement is almost better than the original version we are used to hearing on the radio. The only way I can describe it as is lighter. Everybody in line that picked up the EP from the merchandise booth was excited to see “Flood” re-recorded and on the EP.

Jars of Clay also kicked the set off with “Flood”. Too bad I missed most of the song trying to get to my seat. They also played their new song “Closer” which is an upbeat pop song about love. Dan Haseltine, lead singer, announced the new studio album will be out in 2009. The EP Closer is supposed to hold fans hunger for new Jars of Clay until 2009. It looks like it is doing the job. They are selling the 5 song EP at the show for $5. It also comes with a mini poster. They were also gracious enough to hold an open meet-and-greet with the band after their set. This was great to see because in order to meet the other bands on the tour, one needed to sign up for their fan club. The women sitting next to me at the show and I decided that one would probably have to pay money to join their fan clubs.

These guys were great to see live. I have been listening to them for years. They have a great energy onstage and played many familiar songs. The funniest part of the whole thing is for all those years I was listening to them I never knew they were labeled as a “Christian Rock” band. I am looking forward to the new full length album in 2009 and if you get a chance to see them on the Music Builds Tour, get there early, and you will not be disappointed.